How did Keir Starmer become a top barrister when he was so bad as Prime Minister?

The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/Stereotypes are rarely fair or accurate. However, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the stereotype of a barrister (charismatic, well-spoken, intelligent beyond compare) is an accurate one. For professionals who spend their lives advocating before judges and juries in high-stakes public fora, you'd think that would make them some of the most capable leaders imaginable.However, Keir Starmer (in the eyes of the British public, at the very least) seems to have dodged that particular reputation. In fact, given his high-profile legal roles, why is it that his tenure as prime minister has been marred by ridicule over his communication style and public presentation? Whilst not here to comment on the particularities of his politics, Alex Aldridge and Julia Szaniszlo are back to discuss what it really means to be a barrister, whether the above stereotypes ring true, and why it is that so many barristers seem to end up in politics.